(MONEY Magazine) – PIXEL PERFECT If you take digital photos, how do you display your e-pictures on the mantel? You can boot up your PC every time someone asks to see your wedding pictures, but a better option is the $250 Ceiva picture frame (above). Already available at www.ceiva.com, the frame should be all over electronics stores this fall. Just post up to 1,000 photos at the site, plug in the frame and connect to the Net. The Ceiva retrieves up to 10 images, which you can view individually or as a slide show. The frame is a perfect gift for a technophobe: Once you set it up, all Mom or Dad has to do is press a button to see shots you've posted online. Service is $50 a year for the first year, $79 thereafter. Call 877-693-7263.

GIVE OLD MACHINES NEW LIFE Frustrated with your old Pentium II or first-generation PowerMac? Sure, you can buy a brand-new computer. In fact, if you've owned your machine for four years or more, you probably should. Heaven knows, no self-respecting Tech Enthusiast would discourage you. But if all you're really looking for is more speed, the answer may be as simple as upgrading your random access memory (RAM) or processor. And, contrary to what you might think, you don't need a Ph.D. in engineering to do so.

Both PC and Mac users can benefit from more RAM, which is more affordable than ever. Mac owners may find installing a faster processor worthwhile as well. For half the price of a low-end iMac, you can turn a 100MHz PowerPC into a 300MHz G3. A processor upgrade probably isn't as cost-effective for PC owners. For the $500 it can easily run, you can buy a new PC.

Before you start, back up your files. Next, and this should be obvious, unplug your machine. Make sure breaking open the box won't void any remaining warranty, and check your manual to make sure you're installing the right upgrades.

RAM Newer software hogs memory. So while your machine may easily run Win95 with 64MB of RAM, I'd recommend bulking up to 128MB if you want to upgrade to Win98 or the upcoming Me. Same for Mac users who want OS 9.

Installing RAM is cheap and easy. Just a few years ago, memory cost about $50 per megabyte. These days, you can find RAM at stores like CompUSA or online suppliers like www.pczone.com for $2 or less per MB. RAM modules simply slip into sockets on your computer's motherboard. Before you touch anything, grab a piece of metal to discharge static electricity. Then loosen the levers or clips that hold the old module in place and pull straight up. Don't twist the module or you may damage the socket. Next, slip in the new memory module, fasten the clips and put the lid back on. It's that simple.

PROCESSOR If you're a Mac owner who's maxed out on RAM, you can boost your machine's speed with a new processor. Newer Technology's MAXpowr G3 PDS Internal Processor Upgrade Card ($449 at www.macconnection.com), pictured on the previous page, makes an old gray Mac gallop like a 300MHz G3 thoroughbred.

I recently installed the MAXpowr card in a 100MHz PowerPC. The results were well worth the moderate effort. Pre-upgrade, database program Filemaker Pro took about 15 seconds to load. Post-upgrade, it popped up in four. Same for Quicken Family Lawyer. That document-heavy monster took nearly 20 seconds to open pre-upgrade. Afterward, it opened in half the time. And that in itself makes it worth the investment to me.

E-mail your technology questions to tech_enthusiast@moneymail.com.